Claims examiners: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Claims examiners review claims after they are submitted to ensure claimants and adjusters followed proper guidelines. They may assist adjusters with complicated claims or when, for example, a natural disaster occurs and the volume of claims increases.
Examiners who work for health insurance companies review health-related claims to see whether the costs are reasonable, given the diagnosis. After they review the claim, they authorize appropriate payment, deny the claim, or refer the claim to an investigator.
Examiners who work for life insurance companies review the causes of death and pay particular attention to accidents, because most life insurance companies pay additional benefits if a death is accidental. Examiners also may review new applications for life insurance policies to make sure that the applicants have no serious illnesses that would make them a high risk to insure.
- Education Required
- A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for a person to work as an entry-level claims adjuster or examiner. However, employers sometimes prefer to hire applicants who have a bachelors degree or some insurance-related work experience.
- Training Required
- At the beginning of their careers, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators work on small claims under the supervision of an experienced worker. As they learn more about claims investigation and settlement, they are assigned larger, more complex claims.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -1% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- Licensing requirements for claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators vary by state. Some states have few requirements; others require either completing prelicensing education or receiving a satisfactory score on a licensing exam (or both).
- Median pay: How much do Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators make?
- $63,670 Annual Salary
- $30.61 per hour
Careers for Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators
- Adjusters
- Appraisers
- Auto damage appraisers
- Auto damage insurance appraisers
- Automobile damage appraisers
- Claims analysts
- Claims representatives
- Examiners
- Fire claims adjusters
- Health claims examiners
- Health insurance adjusters
- Independent adjusters
- Independent insurance adjusters
- Insurance adjusters
- Insurance investigators
- Investigators, insurance
- Medical claims analysts
- Medical claims examiners
- Property and casualty insurance claims examiners
- Property damage claims adjusters
- Public adjusters
- Reinsurance claims analysts
- Vehicle damage appraisers
- Workers compensation claims adjusters
- Workers compensation claims examiners